PANJIM: Bursting of fire-crackers over the time limit imposed by the Supreme Court of India can invite penalty of Rs 1,000 from now on.
The Department of Environment and Climate Change has issued “Action Plan” for the State based on directions issued by the National Green Tribunal, which includes preparation of Action Plan for Noise Mapping/Monitoring and emphasised on remedial action to be taken to curb the noise menace by streamlining the process of noise mapping and monitoring in order to meet the standards prescribed in the Rules.
As per the action plan, noise pollution can invite huge penalties of up to Rs 1 lakh.
For violation or use of loud speakers without permission, the fine will be Rs 10,000 with seizure of the equipment.
For DG sets more than 1000KVA the fine can be Rs 1,00,000, for DG sets more than 62.5 to 1000KVA – Rs 25,000 and for DG sets upto 62.5 KVA – Rs 10,000. This also includes sealing of DG sets.
For violation of sound emitting construction equipments the fine would be Rs 50,000 plus seizure/sealing of equipment.
Finally, the bursting of Firecrackers beyond the prescribed time limit prescribed by Hon’ble Supreme Court and Clause 5A (2) and 6(iv) will fetch you a fine of Rs 1000.
The Action Plan says no Public Address System loudspeaker or any sound producing instrument or a musical instrument or a sound amplifier shall be sold, purchased, supplied/used by any manufacture/dealer/shopkeeper without the installation of Noise Limiter in outdoor areas.
These sound producing instruments will not be permitted for use at night between 10 pm to 6 am except either in indoor setup or during any public emergency or during the 15 festive days as notified by the State Government.
Also, only those diesel generator sets which comply with the provision of the Environment (Protection) Rules, as notified by the Page 4 of 10 MoEF&CC from time to time in respect of acoustic enclosure, noise level, certification, insertion loss and exhaust muffler shall be sold purchased, supplied/ used by any manufacture/dealer/shopkeeper.
Under no circumstances, the action plan says, playing of music or using sound amplifiers, beating drums or blowing either a musical or pressure trumpets or beats or sound of any instrument, performance of any nature to attract crowds, bursting of sound emitting fire crackers, loudspeakers or Public Address systems shall be permitted in the “Silence Zone: within a radius of 100 meters from any school, college, hospital & court except during the 15 festive days so notified by the state government, only with prior intimation to the authority concerned.
The peripheral noise level of a privately owned sound system or sound producing instrument shall not, at the boundary of the private place, exceed by more than 5 dB – the ambient noise standards specified for the area in which it is used. Occupant of any public space as defined shall ensure that noise emitting from any activity shall not exceed the noise limit more than 10Db(A) of the prescribed standard.
